What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.
An example of a search engine is Google: you load it up, write some words in, and boom, you have the answer/solution to your question. When people discuss SEO, they're essentially referring to how to rank as highly as possible on Google. If you rank highly on Google, it's your website that pops up at the top when someone searches something. For local businesses, and now in 2021, any business in general, it's incredibly important to rank on the first page of Google: it's akin to owning the best real estate in town.
Now that we've covered the Search Engine (aka, Google) part…
What is optimisation?
This is the simpler and more complicated part! Simply put: optimising means taking your website and your Google My Business account and making them as attractive to Google as possible. Google has a ranking system that's automated; it follows set rules to decide which websites should rank at the top and which should rank below.
Some of these factors include:
Keyword matching - does your website have content that matches that words people are searching for? Hair Dresser Auckland, for example.
On-Page SEO - does your website clearly tell Google what each page of your website does? Each page needs to be optimised for whatever purpose it holds.
Content - the more engaging and helpful content on your website, the more Google knows you're trying to help people. Google ALWAYS rewards websites that help people answer their questions and solve their problems. This includes both written and video content: video is becoming wildly important; it's essential for any business in 2021.
Off-Page SEO - the factors the surround your website but don't exist on it. For example - if another website links to you, this shows trust. You were valuable and helpful enough that someone wanted to share your site with others, and Google takes this really seriously. The more high quality backlinks (a backlink is another website linking to you) your website acquires, the more trustworthy it becomes and Google will rank you higher.
Google Reviews - the more reviews you have, the more likely you are to appear in the map pack. The higher your Review rating and the more reviews you have = a higher chance of scoring in the map pack. Here's an example of the map pack below:
When we discuss SEO, we are generally talking about…
The first page of Google, and more specifically the top 3 spots in the map pack and the top 3 organic spots on the first page!
See Example
You can see the top 3 organic results here, alongside the snippet feature, which addresses the most commonly answered questions related to the search term.
So to wrap up, SEO is the process of doing work to make your website appear as high in Google's rankings as possible! The top 3 Google results get about 75% of all the clicks, so it's incredibly important to rank here. From the 1900 searches per month for Hairdresser Auckland, these 3 businesses will be receiving a large portion. Note: when we say top 3 positions; we mean the top 3 organic positions, not the map pack. That being said, ranking in both is incredibly important, and you can see that 2 of the 3 businesses ranking in the map pack are also in the top 3 organic positions.
So why is SEO important?
Imagine you own a retail shop where foot traffic is key. Your store being on Queen Street or in Commercial Bay is like ranking in the top 3 Google searches. Your store being in a quiet suburb, while needing that same foot traffic, is like ranking on the second page of Google. There's no way you're going to receive as much foot traffic without advertising.
About 92% of search traffic clicks happen on the first page of Google, and the #1 result gets about 31.7% of all the clicks. So, if your website doesn’t appear on page 1, your business basically doesn't exist online. If you're currently not ranking on the first page, or in the top 3; not to worry; there is a solution: SEO!
Then how does SEO work?
SEO is all about consistency. You need to consistently increase the amount of good backlinks you're receiving, and you need to consistently create (or update) your content so you're always as relevant and helpful to your audience as possible.
Generally speaking, you want to start with optimising your fundamentals: your Google My Business Page and your Website (this includes all of your content, all of your header text, meta descriptions, etc, etc).
Once you've finished optimising, or even during the process; you need to audit your business and your content; who are your people (your buyer personas), what problems do they have and how do you solve these? Then, what keywords to do you need to rank for (what do people that you help generally search for?), what are you currently ranking for, and how can you improve?
Once you understand your people, their pain points and questions, and your solutions to their problems (in the form of content, your website, etc), then you can get to work.
So what should I be doing now?!
Every week and every month you need to:
Actively post to your GMB and other social accounts; keeping your people informed with what you're doing to help them, as well as snippets of general things they will find useful.
Find new websites that relate to your industry and ask them to link to you (generally in the form of "hey I have this great content that will help your audience out, would you like to link to it"? *insert link to your website content*).
Create new content, written and video.
Track your statistics and act accordingly (this is arguably the most important tactic for ensuring long-term growth). Track everything and understand what's working and what isn't, and try new experiments accordingly.
SEO is a process that's ongoing, essentially it needs to happen indefinitely for the life of the business. It's similar to exercising; if you don't use it, you will lose it! SEO usually takes 3-6 months to start showing an effect, and you want to look at progress across a 6-12 month timeline to see where you started from and how you're trending. It's a long term game for long-term sustainable growth! For quick wins, jump into engaging video content and advertising!
Want to get a health check on your SEO?
Grab a Free SEO Video Audit, on us!
You will receive a 10 minute, comprehensive video audit tailored just to you, with actionable steps to help you rank higher, drive more traffic, and convert more sales! Did we mention it’s FREE?!
*Please only request an audit if you’re serious about growth! We spend significant time, care, and love in making these videos for you, so please appreciate our time! 🙏 We’re looking forward to it!